Poetry Friday Review of the Day: The Wizard (Part Two)

September 7, 2007 by Betsy Bird Leave a Comment

(CONTINUED FROM PART ONE)

I enjoyed the at odds setting of the story too. Dorman places his action at the end of a suburban cul-de-sac. The title page shows your average everyday houses, ending in a ramshackle skeleton of a hut with a tall stone tower just behind. It makes you wonder how the Wizard got his zoning permits. I like to think his tower was around first and suburbia grew up around him. That would certainly explain the dislike he has taken to the children that play in the street below him. And then other details begin to pull at your eyes the more you read. Why are there slash marks on the Wizard’s walls? Did he create those or were they done by something he’s holding prisoner? They seem important, if only because they’re on the book’s endpapers. And why are there pushpins connected by yarn on the large globe in his home? Is this to show how the Wizard can appear anywhere so watch out little children?

Leading kids to fun poetry books can feel like leading calves to the slaughter if it’s done poorly. Consider pairing this book with Adam Rex’s, Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich for a truly original, colorful, kid-friendly exercise in modern poetic storytelling. This title is sure to have a built-in following of kids either too young for Harry Potter or just beginning him. With its rich deep colors, surprising artistry, and fun rhymes and story, the pairing of Prelutsky and Dorman feels almost natural. Like a partnership that’s had time to build and grow. For anyone looking for some new additions to their poetry shelves, consider this combination of the new and the old a dynamic, collectable pairing.

Misc:

Brandon Dorman’s very nice website and blog. Take a gander at some of the covers he’s done. You’re sure to be shocked at how many you recognize.

Also, look at some of the sketches Mr. Dorman let me post on my blog regarding the creation of the cover for the book "The Palace of Laughter". Remarkable, no?

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About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

September 2023